Combination packer washer and well booster



COMBINATION PACKER WASHER AND WELL BOOSTER Filed Nov. 20, 1939 Inventor ,5. HASLAM, F 2 1- A iiorneys Watented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION PACKER WASHER AND WELL BODS'IER 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a combination packer washer and well booster, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which may be readily coupled into a "a drill stem for operation at any selected depth within a well and during normal drilling operation may be adjusted to permit free flow of drilling mud to the drill bit as common in most drilling operations and any time it is desired to increase the circulation or flow of a well which has become retarded from a shot being made in the well, the device may be easily and quickly operated to permit the mud Imder pressure to escape into the well casing'at a depth within said well as to cause the mud under pressure to act in the column of fluid circulating slugglshly upwardly in the well and to be boosted and thereby more rapidly circulate or restore the flow from the well to substantial normalcy for the purpose of clearing the well of the substances tending to slow the circulation of the fluid after the shot has been made or the device may be conveniently and quickly used for washing foreign materials from packers, test devices or fishing tools which have become stuck or lodged in the well.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, showing a portion of a well casing and a drill stem having a combined packer washer and well booster coupled therein and constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the combined packer washer and well booster, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the nuineral t indicates a fragmentary portion of a well casing and (i a portion of a drill stem.

[l cylinder 9 has coupled to its ends fittings Ill of the reducer type by couplings H. The fittings it are for the purpose of coupling the cylinder it into the drill stem 6 for operation or location at any desired depth within the well casing and by referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that the external diameter of the cylinder 9 while larger than the external diameter of the drill stem is less than the internal diameter of the well casing so dill the drill stem.

The lower fitting W is equipped with a seat l2 for the lower end of an expansion coil type spring l3 on which rests a plunger ll of cylindrical formation and carries a series of packing rings l5 to frictionally contact the wallsof the cylinder and is provided with a bore l6 therethrough, the upper end of which terminates in a valve seat ll. The cylinder-9 below its upper end is provided with discharge ports in which IL type fittings M are threaded or rotatably connected to the cylinder so that said fittings may be either directed upwardly or downwardly depending on what operation is being carried out with the present invention.

A valve element it including a substantially conical-shaped portion id is arranged for opera tion in the upper fitting and has connected thereto a cable it which extends from. the upper end of the drill stem and may be raised and lowered in any suitable way to engage and disengage the valve element with the seat ll.

Pipes 2% are detachably connected to the fittings l d to be used under certain operations.

In operation, the present invention is coupled into the drill stem t for operation at a selected depth in the well or well casing. During normal drilling operation the valve element W is raised ofi of the valve seat so that the mud used in a drilling operation may flow freely through the present invention and reach the drill bit as customary. Should the flow or circulation of fluid in the well be retarded from some cause, such as fine particles of sediment in the fluid due to the well being shot, the valve element may be lowered into engagement with the seat ll and with the fittings It turned upwardly minus the pipes 25, the mud under pressure may be directed into the column of fluid for increasing its circulation toward the top of the well.

While the invention has been specifically described for the specified purpose, it also may be employed for releasing a packer 26 of a conventional construction located as usual in the well. To release the packer which has become stuck due to formation of dirt thereon and about, the present invention is connected in the well tubing directly above the packer and with the pipes 25 attached to the fittings l8 and the latter directed downwardly the valve element I9 is lowered into engagement with the seat so that the pressure of mud will force the plunger l 4 downwardly and uncover the discharge port permitting the mud to be discharged directly onto the packer for washing the same of materials tending to secure the packer against removal. Further, it is to be ill understood that the device also can be used in releasing testers, fishing tools and like devices which frequently become stuck-in a well by direoting the mud under pressure onto such devices to clear them of the materials tending to hold them against being freed.

It is to be understood that the strength of the spring I3 is sumcienrt to retain the plunger it elevated to close the ports as long as the valve I9 is disengaged from the seat. However, when the valve engages with the seat the weight of the mud and pressure thereon forces the plunger downwardly against the action of the spring and uncovers the ports to permit the mud under pressure to escape into the well casing in the vicinity of the stuck packer or other devices of the character described which may become stuck in the well or for increasing the flow of the fluid in the well which has become stagnant. Furthermore, the present invention may be successfully employed for blocking off or killing the flow of fluid and gas from a well, this being accomplished with the packer in use and the flow of mud permitted to pass to the drill bit (not shown) and escape therefrom for killing the well below the packer and at any time it is desired to block off the upper portion of the well or that portion above the packer, the valve i9 is brought into a seated position so that mud may escape directly into the well casing above the packer and thereby bring about closingor killing of the well above th packer.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawing, will fully set forth the construct-ion and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

What I claim is:

In a device of the character described, a cylinder, coupling means connecting the cylinder to sections of a drill stem to permit fiow of mud therethrough, said cylinder having ports, a spring influenced plunger slidable in said cylinder and normally closing the ports and having a bore therethrcugh to permit flow of mud through said plunger, a remotely operated valve element for closing said bore, fittings connected to said ports and capable of being directed upwardly or downwardly, and pipe sections detachably connected to said fittings and extending downwardly in substantially parallelism with the cylinder.

MILTON S. HASLAM. 

